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The aesthetics of 'Thrifting' with Divya Saini, owner of vintage e-store Bodements

Thrifting in layman's language refers to the process of buying used items from stores. A thrift store or shop is one which stocks used items. These stores are established in garages or flea markets, the so- called 'chor bazaars' in India.

Sentinel Digital Desk

In the digital age, thrift stores have also taken the shape of online stores on Instagram and Facebook pages. Thrifting in the context of India has evolved immensely in the past few years. The Covid-19 pandemic forced people to resort to online stores. This also facilitated small online businesses and stores that people initiated from the comfort of their homes. The case was also similar to thrift stores. Many new thrift stores came up post-pandemic.

Women dominate the thrift market, especially in fashion. Women have enhanced the thrift market by re-using old clothes and transforming old garments into completely new fashion ideas. Moreover, the love for vintage has been on the rise in all aspects of culture. Fashion brands are incorporating vintage ideas into their new creations. It has also been noticed that the market of second-hand luxury waves is soaring higher than the luxury industry's gross growth.

Recreating old clothes into new clothes is transversing into a new art form, a movement. Divya Saini, owner of 'Bodements' is one such contributor to the move. Bodements is an e-store platform that Saini commenced as a result of her obsession with collating unparalleled vintage fashion pieces.

Saini was fascinated with recreating dresses from her mother's used dresses as a kid. A few years back, she visited Europe and ended up in a vintage store in Paris. Purchasing and owning vintage treasures from that store gave her immense contentment and inspired her to start her own venture. The young fashionista's journey was on a roll after that. She packed her bags, gathered her models and launched the first Bodements launch campaign.

Presently, Bodements is an aesthetic closet of vintage garments that have been brought from Paris to Greece to Spain. Saini is aware of the niche market that she is contributing toward and is proud of it. If one scrolls through their Instagram page, they will be witnessing spectacular vintage creations from the late 60s to early 2000s. Her collection reveals her wide knowledge of fashion and its subtlety.

Saini believes in dynamism when it comes to fashion style. She, however, tends to be attracted more to fashion ideas and styles which are disruptive and innovative. She is capable of being equally sensitive to unconventional minimal designs on one hand and an oddly coloured and overflowing dress on the other. She emphasizes the role that the context of values, timing, history, etc plays when it comes to constantly evolving and be relevant. Artists who forever stuck to their vision and exploration inspired Saini, the likes of which is inclusive of Freddie Mercury, Cher, David Bowie, and Grace Jones among many others.

A non-branded jacket that dates back to the late eighties and replicates a Freddie Mercury aura, along with an Emanuelle Khanh jacket from the early seventies with an unimitated dragon-like collar are two of Saini's favourite vintage pieces.

According to Saini, the vintage culture is running on a fast-paced train in India. Millennials and Gen Z are sensible towards the concerning issues around them and are initiating effective measures for a better tomorrow. The dopamine rush that a new purchase induces is equivalent to a dream to Saini. She believes that vintage clothing is the most sustainable option in existence.

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